Spritely – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, Jillian Lavin of the indie rock band, Spritely, shares what she does before every show. You can check out her rituals, after the break.

I usually wear myself out by anxiously bouncing around and confirming details all day, so I like to take a moment to sit down and rest. Naps are out of the question; I can barely get to sleep on a normal day, let alone before a show. After the nap is coffee, or an energy drink, or something equally harmful that you’re not supposed to ingest past sundown (sorry, doc). Hopefully at some point that afternoon I warmed up my voice, so I’ll do a few scales and trills to wake it all back up.

After that, I get to the venue and meet up with the bandies for sound check. It always makes me feel great to see them lookin’ sharp and in good spirits. It’s the first time I can really relax because I realize we’re all in it together. They lift huge weight off my shoulders. From then on I (try to) enter Chill-Jill zone, trusting that everything either is or will be in place. I find some napkins or tossed flyers to scribble the set list on (because I will have invariably forgotten to print it out) and resist the urge to order a gin and tonic (because alcohol turns my vocal cords to jelly).

Before we go on, I try to take a moment to call to mind what it all means—the songs, the music, the fact that we’re about to play for people. I try to feel that connection to the powers-that-be in the universe because it’s grounding, humbling and empowering. That’s really what music is all about for me.

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